Yankees fans, Dodgers fans, baseball fans generally, and the media looked to last weekend’s Yankees-Dodgers series as a litmus test of what could happen in October. I didn’t, and here’s why.
The Dodgers took the series 2-1, and the Yankees avoided a Dodgers sweep by taking a 6-4 victory Sunday on a go-ahead, three-run home run by Trent Grisham in the sixth inning. But here’s the thing. As fun as the weekend was, this series meant nothing more than games in a 162-game schedule. In other words, it was just a scrimmage intended to diverge from this season’s grind—no more, no less.
I don’t know if either team is World Series-worthy. Sure, they have two of the best records in Major League Baseball. But as we’ve learned, that means nothing come October.
It’s not like it used to be before the advent of wild cards when teams could get to the World Series just by winning a round. It takes two or three rounds to get to the World Series. Have you ever noticed that the best teams that get a bye in the first round don’t even make it to the championship series now? In last year’s World Series, two wild-card teams were facing each other — Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers.
It’s how a team plays in October that matters. The Yankees and Dodgers need to peak at the right time. No one questions the fact that they’re great regular-season teams. I don’t know if they are a postseason club. The Bronx Bombers have a 46-21 record and should be a lock to win the AL East. But there are plenty of questions about them that you’d better believe the front office will try to answer in this trade deadline.
For instance, the Yankees could use a closer. Sorry, but Clay Holmes isn’t it. No one expects him to be Mariano Rivera, the best finisher ever because he inspires fear in the other team on the plate. But Holmes has to show he can get by without his best stuff and when in a jam. Think Craig Kimbrel, who can be hit if he has nothing going on a particular night.
You figure the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles Dodgers will be in the running to get A’s closer Mason Miller, a flamethrower who can overwhelm opponents out there – the type of closer who can be a difference-maker to a team that is a contender and not a pretender. As the Yankees know, closers like that don’t come along too often, and with a team that can win it all, they need to beat their competitors and grab him first.
Closers matter so much in October, and the Yankees don’t win four World Series championships without Mariano Rivera. If they can get him, they’ll seriously improve their odds.
There’s also a question about NYY’s starting rotation. Yes, it has been excellent, especially without Gerrit Cole, who’s been on the injured list with a nerve inflammation in his elbow since spring training, but I wonder if they can pitch like this for an entire season. Also, they need to be aware of injuries, which are epidemic when starters throw harder on the mound. Ultimately, I need to see it and believe that Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman, and Carlos Rodon can be great starters in October.
You can forget Luis Gil in the rotation since he’ll be on the dreaded innings limit. Remember, he never pitched that many innings in his career, and the Yankees will protect his arm and use him in the bullpen the way they used Ramiro Mendoza in those championship years when it came to high-leverage situations. This means the Yankees will need to acquire a starter, and those guys are hard to get since there are so many contenders that could use one.
Another issue is that the Yankees’ offense is home runs or bust. That’s not conducive to playoff success. They need to learn to play small ball, which matters more in October. They’re not athletic to the extent that they can take an extra base on a base hit that makes a difference come October. They must also learn how to bunt when moving up runners. For example, Trent Grisham failed to bunt in moving Jahmai Jones (ghost-runner) up to the third base in the 10th inning on Friday night, and eventually, he flew out for the first out of the inning and in the end, Jones was stranded to end the inning.
I need to see if Aaron Judge and Juan Soto could be the guys for the Yankees in October. Soto was the World Series MVP for the Washington Nationals, but that means nothing. What they do as Yankees matters a lot more.
Maybe the Yankees get by here in what has been a weak American League since 2009, but this won’t matter when they play better competition if they go to the World Series.
Winning the series against the Yankees improves the Dodgers’ standing at 41-26 in the NL West, but they have as many questions as the Yankees do.
Let’s begin with their starting rotation. As good as they are now, can they do this in October? Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Gavin Stone, and Walker Buehler must show they have the goods to pitch in the postseason. No one is comparing the Dodgers’ trio to Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Andy Pettitte, Orlando Hernandez, and David Cone. The Dodgers boast depth in the starting rotation, but will it be quality come October?
The bullpen needs to be delivered in October. How many times has it failed the Dodgers in the postseason? It has been unable the team many times, which also explains why they have only won two championships rather than more in recent history.
Also, as great as the lineup is, when will Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith come through in a big postseason moment? They need a moment like when Kirk Gibson came off the bench to hit a game-winning home run off Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has had five 100-win seasons or more, yet he has just one World Series championship to show for it, and it came during a shortened season a few years ago. With the talent he has had, he needs to achieve more. His job security depends on winning a championship this season.
Yes, both teams played well in the series, with great defense, timely hitting, and excellent pitching. The Dodgers looked great in taking the series. Yes, Juan Soto did not play in any of the three games.
In the end, no one will remember what happened on this June weekend a few months from now. People will remember what happened in October … if the teams meet.
